Duro Ikhazuagbe in Glasgow
Chukwuebuka Enekwechi finally exorcised the spirit of playing second fiddle to become the top man of the Commonwealth Games’ Men’s Shot Put event yesterday as he finally won the gold medal in his third attempt here at the Glasgow Games.
His championship-winning throw of 21.07m ensured that he leapfrogged defending champion from the Birmingham Games four years ago, New Zealand’s Tom Walsh (21.03m), to claim the gold medal.
While the gold medal is Team Nigeria’s eighth here in Glasgow, it is Enekwechi’s first in three editions. It was a perfect compensation for the silver he got in Gold Coast, Australia in 2018 and fourth place finish in Birmingham in 2022.
Enekwechi’s friend and rival from England, Scott Lincoln, picked the consolatory bronze medal with 20.99m throw.
While Team Nigeria erupted in celebration of Enekwechi’s gold medal feat, the opposite was the case in Tobi Amusan’s failure to win the women’s 100m hurdles that she is the world record holder with 12.12secs.
Amusan had a bad day in the office and was reduced to third best in the event that she has dominated since winning the World Championship gold medal at Eugene, Oregon in 2022.
On a day that she had a bad start from the block, Amusan tried to do the catch up from 20m but Bahamas girl, Devynne Charlton (12.33), and Megan Simmond (12.41) of Jamaica, proved too tough to touch. Amusan who ran the leading wind assisted 12.19 secs in the semi final, THISDAY learnt, that she ran the final with pains in her toe but refused to give that as excuse for losing the gold. And so, Amusan’s 12.60secs was only good enough for the bronze.
Her quest to become the first sprint hurdler to win the Commonwealth Games title three consecutive times failed to become a reality. At 29, it remains to be seen how the Ogun State-born hurdler will be able to reclaim the title at subsequent editions.
Ella Onojuvwevwo will lead charge as the only Nigerian standing in the women’s 400m final after both Patience Okon-George and Esther Elo Joseph failed to make the cut.
Also yesterday, only Udodi Onwuzurike made it to the final of the men’s 200m event.
In the women’s 200m, both Jennifer Chukwuka and Olayinka Olajide, failed to make it to the final as they both placed fifth and seventh respectively
All eyes will now shift to Ezekiel Nathaniel in the Men’s 400m hurdles and the Mixed 4x400m relay.
Favourite in the Men’s 400m final, Samuel Ogazi will not be in action until Saturday.
Elsewhere yesterday, Obiageri Pamela Amaechi failed to reach the podium in the women’s Discuss Throw event. She placed 6th in the final. Unyima Uwak also could not make it in the Women’s Triple Jump.